The present disclosure is directed generally to superconductors and more specifically to a method and apparatus for tuning the superconductivity temperature Tc of a superconductor to a temperature greater than Tc.
The method of operating a superconductor in its superconductivity state at a temperature Tc(i) in the range of Tc* to Tc, where Tc* is greater than the superconductivity temperature Tc of the superconductor, includes cooling the superconductor to a temperature of Tc or less and applying energy to the superconductor after the superconductor has entered a superconducting state. The energy corresponds to the quantum energy hν in the range of a minimum energy less than E0 to less than E0, where E0 is the ground state of the two-dimensional excitation binding energy of the superconductor. The superconductor is then cooled to the selected temperature Tc(i). The minimum energy is 8/9 of E0.
The energy is applied by a light source, which may be pulsed. The superconductor is cooled at the temperature of Tc or less until the temperature of the superconductor falls below the cooling temperature. The superconductor is cooled at the temperature of Tc or less until a sufficient amount of stable global localized excitons are produced to sustain superconductivity.
The energy may be applied before the cooling temperature is raised above Tc or after the cooling temperature is raised above Tc and before loss of the superconducting state. The energy E0 is a function of the fraction of whole density n which varies with variations in the superconductor material.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure, when considered in conjunction with accompanying drawings.